


Puzzles

by SkeeBallCatt22



Category: Hermitcraft RPF, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, One or two graphic images, Random & Short, Superflat, wrote this in like one day lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:29:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28602237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkeeBallCatt22/pseuds/SkeeBallCatt22
Summary: A few hermits find themselves in a place of interestcan they get out?
Kudos: 39





	Puzzles

The room filled with rushing water. X looked at the pipes that had opened. He turned his head to the room Grian was in.

“GRIAN!” He yelled over the flooding room. “DID YOU PRESS ANYTHING!” His voice hardly made over water. He shook his head though the glass, paralyzed with his arms in the air. Iskall and Mumbo exchanged looks of terror.

“TRY TO TURN IT OFF!” Iskall yelled. The water was up to their knees. Grian took a second to process the command and them looked at the panel in front of him. Levers filled the space, buttons in the gaps between. He tried to read the orders and titles, but the rapids cut his thoughts off short. The room had filled up now, Iskall, Mumbo, and Xisuma swimming to stay above water. The room wasn’t large, and they were already getting close to the ceiling. The water covered most of the glass in front of Grian. His breathing quickened as he sorted through the buttons.

At the top of the room, X pulled a respirator from his back and Iskall looked at him confused.

“TAKE A DEEP BREATH!” Mumbo yelled, swallowing his last bit of air. Xisuma did as he was told and Iskall tried to. He was a second to late, as he swallowed water in the process. He tried to cough it out, but he was already underwater, sucking in the dirty water. X saw him and swam over, shoving the respirator on to his face.

Grian stared into the window, frozen. His breathing quickened and he read through the labels faster. The room seemed to deafen and Grian questioned if he had just gone deaf himself. He read through the labels as fast as he could, surely missing the one he needed. The time seemed to stretch infinitely. When he looked up from a moment, he could see Mumbo floating lifelessly, X still trying to hold his breath, and Iskall slowly recovering.

A crack started to form on the window. Grian read faster. After who knows how long, he found the button labeled ‘DRIAN’. He jumped forward as a piercing crash flooded the room with water and glass

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mumbo opened his eyes and saw the sun beating down on him. He blinked a few times, trying to remember what he was doing. He coughed, feeling his lungs burn. He pushed back his black hair. It was wet… he didn’t remember swimming or anything? Maybe that’s why his lungs throat was so sore… Mumbo coughed again, jolted out of his thinking.

He looked around for someone, but there was nothing. Just an infinite plain stretching to the horizon. He stood up slowly, arms and legs aching. Mumbo patted his pockets and felt a book in his back pocket, but nothing else. He opened the wet, leather bound book and shook it off, careful not to tear anything. He flipped to the beginning, reading the title out loud to no one.

“The Puzzle Box” He opened to the first page. “The First Puzzle: Dear Hermits, you find yourselves in a room full of shulkers, one holds the key to get out. That’s not the hard part. Good luck finding the door. –The Night Watcher.” He looked around, trying to find someone as if the book had just been given to him. Mumbo flipped the page.

“The Second Puzzle: Dear Hermits, this room is filled with monsters, and you have but a wooden axe. One of you will fight, the others will defend. Find the door and freedom is yours. Be careful, as you might need something quite specific.” Mumbo glanced over the other pages. There were a hundred of the strange ‘puzzles’ and Mumbo racked his brain to figure them out. Had he been in this ‘puzzle box’? He through the pages, looking for one about water. Finally, he found one at the end of the book.

“One Hundred and Second Puzzle?” He read confused. There was no way this was it. no way had he made it past that many. “Dear Hermits, you find yourselves in a lab with an air tight room attached. One will go in and save the others. Choose someone quick thinking and light on their feet. Hurry, you might all drown, or asphyxiate for the unlucky one alone.” Mumbo shivered. He looked around the empty plain. No matter if this was the reason he was soaked or not, he’d gotten his book somehow and he felt like he’d been in those trials.

“I couldn’t have been alone.” He mumbled, starting to walk to the sun rise. He didn’t know where he was going or even where he was, but he shouldn’t just stand around. His arms and legs screamed for rest and his stomach growled for food. The redstoner closed his eyes as he walked, drifting in and out of consciousness.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Iskall swung the wooden axe with all his force at the warden. Mumbo and Xisuma held up two shields when it attacked. Grian held a shield behind them, shoving back zombies and skeletons.

“Guys! The axe is breaking!” Iskall yelled, supporting the cracking wood with both hands. Mumbo looked at X with wide eyes.

“More are coming!” Grian yelped from behind them. Iskall made one final hit on the warden; the axe split into a thousand splinters. Iskall spat out a cuss and backed into Mumbo and Xisuma. Grian’s eyes lit up. X turned.

“Guys, hurry, the door’s opened!” They shoved past the mobs, defecting arrows and sword swings. The four hermits dived through the iron doors and they slammed behind them, the warden roaring and pounding on the doors. Mumbo started laughing hysterically.

“How--” He sputtered. “How are we alive?” He threw his hands up. Grian fell on the ground. Iskall pulled out a leather bound book.

“Dudes, there’s more?” He spat, looking at the new page. Xisuma looked over his shoulder.

“Looks like every time we complete one, a new entry is added.” He concluded.

“How many more do you think?” Grian groaned from the ground. X shook his head.

“No telling with a system like this.” They stared blankly at rustic wooden house they now stood in.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Mumbo opened his eyes again, it was night. He sat up, looking around for any monsters, but still only he occupied the space. His hair was dry now and the books pages were warped and stained with the brown water. He was hit with the realization that he must look and smell awful. He sat cross-legged for a while, waiting for the sun to come up so he could head in the same direction he had been. Once it started peaking over the skyline, Mumbo stood and began walking again.

His legs and arms didn’t hurt as bad, but it was starting to become clear how thirsty and hungry he was. Mumbo pinched his hand and his skin took a second to reset itself. He cringed, realizing how dehydrated he was. Surely if he was with someone, they’d be around somewhere, right?

Mumbo walked all day and some of the night. He laid down, unconcerned with monster as they didn’t spawn. He put his arms behind his head and tried to find comfort in the stars above him. He closed his eyes, sleep tugging at his mind.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Puzzle Twenty-Three: Dear Hermits,” Iskall read. “In here you are to build you way out. You have the blocks given to you and you can use what you have picked up so far. –The Night Watcher.” They looked up at the tall room they stood in. A shulker box held a pickaxe, two blocks of wood, and three stone slabs.

“Is anyone else tired?” Grian said in a shaky voice. Mumbo nodded. Iskall took the shulker box and looked up.

“Think about it, twenty-five is a pretty good number to end on, we might almost be done.” His voice was scratchy as well. Xisuma shook his head.

“Don’t count on it. I’d love it to be true but the way it’s been going so far…” The four of them looked up.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mumbo woke up to the same void world and stood up. His insides clawed and twisted and the dizziness of dehydration was starting to kick in. he started walking again, following the sun rise, hoping, _praying_ it would lead him somewhere. He felt like he was sleeping for longer and longer, hopelessly trying to finds strength.

Despite the world having been flat, Mumbo found himself tripping over himself and soon something else. He face-planted into the soft grass and laid for a second. His legs where over what could only be assumed to be a body. He slowly dragged himself off and looked for who he ungracefully dove onto.

“Grian?” He spat against the wishes of his throat. The builder was face up on the green carpet, hands bruised and covered with blood. His face was pale and his mouth dripped blood. Mumbo looked around for anyone, but still he saw nothing. He turned his attention back to his friends and looked for anymore injuries. Grian’s leg was cut open, vital liquid staining his shoes and pants. It looked as if it had been cauterized, burnt to keep the blood in side. Mumbo’s supposition was confirmed when he noticed a flint and steel in Grian’s hands and a burnt patch of grass.

Mumbo tensed up as the picture developed in his mind. Despite all of this, Grian was still alive, breathing steadily. The redstoner lifted Grian and tossed him on his shoulder, refusing to leave him alone on the open plain. He began walking again when it hit him how lucky he was to have found Grian.

In a seemingly infinite world, he was only walking in one direction. In such an open place, he could’ve chosen to go to sunset, and thus never find Grian. Or maybe he would’ve found someone else, or no one. He shivered as he walked, over whelmed by the idea that he might never be found just because of the sheer size of the world.

Night came again and Mumbo laid down. Sleep embraced him quickly once again.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Puzzle Forty-Nine…” Xisuma slurred his words. “Dear Hermits, I’m surprised you aren’t dead. How about you rest up here in this nice, warm, wooden cottage. There is food in the chests, help yourselves.” The four looked at each other. In front of them were four beds, each labeled with their names.

Iskall fell down on his. Grian shrugged and did as well, pulling the covers on top of him. Mumbo looked at Xisuma.

“I mean, it’s not like The Night Watcher has ever tricked us.” Mumbo said, sitting down and taking bread from the chest. “He/she’s pretty straight forward.” X nodded and took some of his own food. They sat in silence as Grian and Iskall slept.

“Mumbo?” X asked, voice sturdier than it had been. “Do _you_ think we’ll get out?” Mumbo looked at him a bit surprised.

“Well I don’t know.” He mumbled. “It really seems like this is some never ending list of challenges. But it can’t be right? I mean, they’re basically giving us a check point before fifty, maybe if we fight a boss we’ll win?” Mumbo laid down on the soft bed. X laid down slowly, unsure of what’s to come.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mumbo? Grian?” A voice woke up Mumbo and he opened his eyes. The sun was already setting again. Iskall was knelt over them, worried eyes. Mumbo sat up and looked at him. Iskall handed him some bread.

“Thanks…” He coughed, choking down the food. Iskall sat down next to Grian.

“Please tell me you have some sort of idea of what happened?” He asked, sounded a lot more alive than Mumbo though he would. The redstoner shook his head. “I woke up soaking wet. I have food and some water, but I’ve been--”

“Can I have some?” Mumbo leaned forward. “Water, please.” He clarified. Iskall handed him a bottle and Mumbo drank some. Iskall furrowed his eyebrows.

“Just drink all of it.” He insisted. “I hate to be rude, but you look terrible.” Mumbo looked up at him.

“I’ll drink it over a while.” He said capping it. “I don’t want to run out immediately.” Iskall looked down at Grian’s leg. He clenched his teeth.

“I’ve been tracking the days and It been about a week since I’ve woken up. I can’t imagine it’s been much longer or shorter from you.” Iskall said. He pulled out a leather bound book. “I found this book that just lists strange… ‘puzzles’ and I’ve been writing in the back of it.” He lifted the brown book. Mumbo lifted up his.

“I have one too, with the same things.” He said. Iskall nodded. He flipped open to the last page.

“I have a few other random things littering my inventory, but nothing useful other than the food and water.” He explained further. “I’ve gone through I lot of these. The last one especially freaks me out, seeing as I woke up wet.” Mumbo looked at the page and read it again.

“I did too. I found Grian only like, a day or so ago, so I don’t know if he woke up like us.” He said, mostly to himself. “I’m worried though. I found his next to a lot of blood and a burnt patch in the grass.” Mumbo gestured to the burnt scar on Grian’s leg. Iskall nodded slowly, taking in the information.

“Do you think we were the only ones?” Iskall asked. Mumbo thought for a second.

“I feel like someone was with us…” He mumbled.

“It’s not like we know where we are, we’ve got time to look.” Iskall said. “Plus these puzzles all seem for a small group, so… we can’t be missing many people.”

The two sat in silence as the sun dipped below the horizon, using Grian’s flint and steel to light a fire and sleep.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Puzzle One Hundred: Dear Hermits, you’ve been quick. You’re close, I assure you. I’ve been vague to give you a number, but I think I like One-O-Five.” Grian smiled and looked at his friends, who also looked relieved. “For this puzzle, you will do some parkour, nothing too hard, but mind the rising lava.” They looked down and saw the floor open up to lava.

“Oh no.” Mumbo said. Xisuma looked at them.

“Come on, just don’t think too hard.” He said. “Focus on timing but don’t think for too long, but also don’t--”

“You are making this worse!” Grian squeaked. The lava rose another block.

“Just go then!” X said, jumping on the first block. They followed upwards, jumping single file. Grian looked down for a second. Lava was filling the room faster and faster. He tried to jump up, but tripped and grabbed the ledge.

“AHH!” Mumbo looked back. Grian was hanging off the edge, legs almost pulled under the lava.

“GRIAN!” The redstoner jumped back and pulled the builder up. The lava almost touched Grian’s feet. Grian wrapped his arms around Mumbo. “Come on!” He said, pulling Grian to the next block. Iskall and X looked back, scared.

“Hurry!” Iskall yelled. Seeing Grian limping, Mumbo threw him over his shoulder and continued upward.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mumbo opened his eyes and looked up to the sun that seemed to get hotter every day. He tried to sit up but found himself held down. He looked to see Grian wrapped around his arm. Mumbo laid back down and sighed. Iskall sat up and stretched. He looked over to Mumbo and smiled.

“I don’t even know…” Mumbo laughed. He sighed and looked into the blue sky. “Do you think we’ll find anyone else out here?” Iskall looked up too.

“I don’t know. All the reading I’ve done only ever specifies one and then a group.” Iskall explained. “I really don’t know.” Mumbo sat up and slowly slid Grian off of him.

“Do you think we should get going for today?” Mumbo asked, standing and picking up Grian. Iskall nodded and smiled. They began walking toward the sun and continued for the whole day. Iskall read the book as they walked and Mumbo carried Grian. They walked into the night, deciding they could go for longer. Iskall provided water and food throughout the day and night. The sun started to seep beneath the horizon and a silhouette made itself known on the horizon. Mumbo stopped walking and grabbed Iskall’s arm. The reader looked up.

“Who is that?” He asked. Mumbo shook his head. The shadow slowly came forward, and they were swaying, stumbling. Iskall ran forward and Mumbo was close behind. The figure stumbled forward onto Iskall and held on to his arms.

“Iskall?” Xisuma said, looking up. His face pale, helmet discarded and hanging by two air tubes, bags under his eyes, and he was shaking.

“Oh my gosh, Xisuma, are you okay?” Iskall asked. Mumbo caught up to them and looked at X. The admin took a few deep breaths.

“I need to rest…” He huffed. Iskall laid him down on the ground and Mumbo sat down. Iskall lit a fire. Xisuma was out like a light and Mumbo wasn’t far behind.

Iskall instead watched the stars and pulled up the puzzle book. He looked at his friends and read the last entry.

“One Hundred and Second Puzzle,” He read quietly. “Dear Hermits, you find yourselves in a lab with an air tight room attached. One will go in and save the others. Choose someone quick thinking and light on their feet. Hurry, you might all drown, or asphyxiate for the unlucky one alone.” He closed the book and looked at his friends. There couldn’t have been more than four people in these puzzles. Maybe five, but that felt like he was pushing it. Iskall opened the book back to the next empty page and wrote:

“Day 15,” He wrote in the best writing he could. “Found Xisuma, running low on food and water, but I don’t want to tell them. They need to eat and hydrate, and I don’t want them to try and skip out. I do want to save some for Grian when he wakes up. We’ll see what happens.” The redstoner closed the book and laid down. He shut his eyes and let sleep pull him under.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Iskall woke up the next morning, the sky was filled with warm pinks and blues and the day began. He sat up and looked at the people around him. He looked around the infinite plain. He stood up, stretching. He lifted his hand and pushed back his hair. He watched the sun peak up. Iskall smiled for a second. He heard a small squeak that turned into a cough. He turned to see Grian sitting up. The builder looked up. He looked confused and worried. Hair a mess, eyes watery, scars everywhere.

“Good morning.” Iskall said. Grian looked around.

“Morning…” He rubbed his face, moving his hand it push his hair from his face. “What happened? Last thing I remember…” He trailed off as his eyes met the burn scar on his legs.

“Apparently we were a part of some sort of puzzle thing.” Iskall pulled the book up. Grian patted his pockets. “The last test in the book was one that had to do with a room filling with water.” Grian pulled out flint and steel, food, water, a bed, a sword, a bucket of water, a bucket of lava, a sapling, bones, and a few pistons. Iskall watched in shock as he looked through his stash.

“I’m starving…” Grain muttered, scoffing down some bread. Iskall’s face lit up.

“Great!” He said. “We were running low on food and water…” He sighed in relief. Mumbo lifted his head and looked at Grian.

“Oh thank goodness you’re awake…” The redstoner breathed. He sat up and wrapped an arm around Grian. Grian squeezed him back. Iskall shoved water to Mumbo and nodded at him. Mumbo drank it. Iskall shook Xisuma slightly.

“I’m awake…” He mumbled back. He didn’t move.

“Do you want to eat something?” Iskall offered him bread. X took it with a shaking hand and ate it.

“Anything to drink?” He asked, strength partially returned. Iskall handed him a bottle. X chugged it, sitting up.

For what seemed like a few hours, the four sat in silence. None of them really knew what to say. Everyone had a good enough understanding of the situation but no one knew what to do about it. Grian was the first to say something as the sun grasped at the other side of the world.

“I’ll plant the sapling.” He said, planting it. “We’ll see if we can make tools and a nether portal.” The other four nodded. Iskall stood up and took the bones. He turned it into bone meal and grew the tree.

“Mumbo, make a cobblestone generator.” Iskall ordered. Mumbo nodded, taking care that he’d do it right. X tried to stand up but couldn’t. Iskall pulled out the bed and laid Xisuma down. “Rest.” He commanded. Xisuma almost argued, but stopped himself. Grian planted the sapling he got from the tree and used more bone meal. Iskall dug a few blocks to start a mine and, to his relief, it went to stone. Grian tossed him a stone pickaxe curtesy of Mumbo. He began to mine downwards, picking up iron and coal he saw.

A house grew and Grian and Mumbo built around Xisuma. Thankfully, the underground wasn’t void of structures and Iskall was able to find mob spawners and caves. He made a farm and came back with rotten flesh, a few beetroot seeds, Cat, and string. They stared a farm and made some soup for X.

“You guys made a whole house while I was mining?” Iskall gawked as they walked down the stairs. Grian nodded a smiled. Iskall laughed. “Ridiculous… Well, I found a lava pool, when X is ready, we can go try it.” Mumbo smiled.

“Good. This place is starting to freak me out.” He sighed, looking out to the infinite land.

It did feel like it lasted forever… It probably did.

**Author's Note:**

> This is super random. I started writing this once I got done with Disgrace and it just happened.  
> I'm posting this now for some reason I really have no idea, just felt like it I guess


End file.
